Overview
- The Avalanche beat the Wild 4-3 in overtime in Game 5, a Wednesday win in Denver that closed the series 4-1 and marked Colorado’s first home-ice series clincher since 2008.
- Colorado trailed 3-0 after a first period that featured goals from Marcus Johansson and two by Nick Foligno, then coach Jared Bednar replaced Mackenzie Blackwood with Scott Wedgewood, who stopped all seven shots the rest of the way.
- Nathan MacKinnon tied the game with 1:23 left in regulation, the latest equalizer in a potential series-clincher in franchise history, and he scored in all five games of the series.
- Brett Kulak, a midseason addition, buried Martin Necas’ feed 3:52 into overtime for the winner, his first goal since joining the Avalanche.
- Colorado will face the winner of Vegas vs. Anaheim; the Golden Knights lead 3-2 after an overtime Game 5 and play Game 6 on Thursday in Anaheim, with captain Mark Stone having missed recent games due to a lower-body injury.